Bothered and Bewildered

Chapter 1
Chapter 1

Rays’ Bar and Grill stank of cigarette smoke and stale food as I pushed through the doorway. Beside me, Jimmy Swanson, a co-worker for years, snapped his fingers with the jukebox playing sixties oldies.

"We couldn’t meet the girls somewhere else?" I asked.

"Get with it," Jimmy said. "This place is hot."

"Only if someone drops a match on the floor and it burns up," I added with a sigh.

"Evan, chill. Get yourself a beer and meet me over there."

"I don’t drink," I added. "I don’t smoke, and I do not want to meet a girl that does either."

"But she’s really hot."

"I bet," I said and walked over to the bar to get a soft drink. Why I had agreed to meet the girls here I will never know. I’d try to make it an early night with or without the young lady.

Dropping my soda off at Jimmy’s table, I tried my hand at pool for a while. I took Jimmy in a couple of games, before he nudged me and pointed at the doorway.

I knew Kimberly from the office, an attractive brunette, early thirties, and a great administrative aide, according to Jimmy. The other one had to be Julie.

For once, Jimmy was right. Honey blonde, slim, with legs that went on for ever made Julie one hot girl. She.... She had a kid. A little boy, cute as anything, stood next to Julie not quite holding her hand. He looked to be seven or eight, and was every bit as pretty as his mother. He held one hand over his mouth and coughed against the smoke in the bar.

Before Jimmy could make a move, I walked over to the ladies. "Good evening, Kim. Would you introduce me to your friends?"

She gave me a big smile. "Always the gentleman. Julie? This is Evan Marsh, he works in Jimmy’s office, in fact, he’s Jimmy’s boss. Evan, this is Julie Brujita and her son, Josh."

"This is a pleasure," I said as I took the lady’s hand, then shook the kid’s hand as well. "Hey, Tiger, looks like you’re having trouble with the smoke in here. Would you two like to go someplace a bit less noisy?"

"The night’s just getting started," Jimmy said as he took his place beside Kim.

I pointed down at the kid. "Is it?"

"Oh, I see."

I gave Julie a sheepish smile. "Don’t mind the churl, he’s never been very observant. Before you son chokes, would you like to find someplace not quite so unfriendly to kids?"

"I would love to. I thought Kim had made a mistake when she drove us here."

"You two have a great time," I said.

"Can we go to McDonalds?" Josh asked me.

"No, but I can think of a lot of places your mother would rather go. How about Tony’s Diner?"

"Yes, I’d love to," Julie said as we walked outside into the fresh, summer air.

"They’ve got games," Josh reminded his mother.

"Okay, and maybe you can show Evan how to play."

"Sounds like fun," I said. The last thing I wanted to do was play video games with the kid, but I guessed his mother couldn’t find a sitter. I drove the crew across town to the diner, tried to settle into, and agreed to take Josh to the men’s room.

"With that face, you have to watch him. It’s a face that grown ups adore, but demands to be beaten up by every tough kid around."

"You’ve got that right," Josh said with a nod. He gave me a long, appraising stare. "You got kids?"

"No, I don’t. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always wanted kids, but never found the right person to have them with. I had a problem with bullies when I was your age."

"Whatcha do about it?"

"I learned to fight, and I got hurt a lot, but after a while I when I started winning, they left me alone."

"Can you teach me?"

"Yes," I said with a shrug. "You’d better learn."

We both did what we had to do, and I waited for him to clean up.

After dinner, at Julie’s urging, Josh dragged me by the hand over to the video game room. They had quite a few machines, and I had never seen any of them before. The last video game I had played was Ms. Pacman in college, though.

I provided the coins, while the kid showed me how to play. He was good, much quicker reflexes than mine, and a great eye for enemies. Thoroughly trounced by an eight- year old, I took him back to the table for dessert.

"Looks like you two had a good time."

I nodded as Josh described in loving detail how he beat me every game.

Julie gave me the sweetest smile. "And you didn’t let him win?"

"No, he won fair. I’m not a video person. I read and listen to music more than TV or computers. He’s a great competitor, though."

I drove them home, and Julie promised to call me for another date, without Josh along. She didn’t give me her telephone number, though.